Designed as a practical helper
Waseda's 2026 retrospective says TWENDY-ONE was designed for practical help with daily tasks, not only as a research model. [1]
Price & availability
Waseda University has not published a price
Discontinued
Current dataset status: Discontinued.
Product overview
About Waseda Twendy-One
Twendy-One is an assistive humanoid from Waseda University's Sugano Laboratory, led by Professor Shigeki Sugano. Waseda's May 2026 retrospective says it was introduced in 2007 and was designed as a practical helper rather than only a research model.
The robot combines a mobile base with arms and hands for housework and nursing care. Waseda says it can help someone get out of bed and into a wheelchair. Springs in the arms and fingers with adjustable grip pressure let it handle soft or irregular objects, and contact detection over its whole body lets it follow a person's movement safely.
In October 2013 Waseda said it aimed to turn the robot into a commercial product within a few years. Robotsguide lists its status as inactive and gives 146.7 cm, 111 kg and 47 degrees of freedom. These are database values rather than Waseda specifications, and the sources reviewed show no commercial version or price.
“TWENDY-ONE was introduced in 2007 and was designed as a practical helper rather than just a research model.”
Capabilities
Key features
Compliant arms and adjustable fingers
Springs in the arms and fingers with adjustable grip pressure let the robot handle soft or complex objects, according to Waseda's 2013 article. [2]
Whole-body contact detection
Waseda says the robot can follow human motion because it has contact detection all over its body. [2]
Mobile base
Robotsguide describes a humanoid upper body with strong arms, skilled hands and a mobile base, built to help older adults at home. [3]
Hardware profile
Specifications
Official — stated by the manufacturer or organizerReported — stated by a credible third partyEstimated — derived or approximate
Body
Mobility
- Maximum speed
- 0.75 m/sReported — stated by a credible third party[3]Robotsguide lists 2.7 km/h (converted); database value, not a Waseda figure
Power
- Runtime
- 0.5 hReported — stated by a credible third party[3]Robots Guide database value
Hands & Manipulation
- DoF per hand
- 13Reported — stated by a credible third party[4]
- Payload
- 35 kgReported — stated by a credible third party[4]Approximate load supported by both arms; not a stated free-carry payload
Compute & Sensing
- Sensors
- Whole-body contact detectionOfficial — stated by the manufacturer or organizer[2]
Show unknown fields (6)
Mobility
- Peak joint torque
- Not published
Power
- Battery
- Not published
- Charge time
- Not published
- Swappable battery
- Not published
Compute & Sensing
- Onboard compute
- Not published
- AI stack
- Not published
Quick answers
Waseda Twendy-One FAQ
Can you buy Waseda Twendy-One?
No general order page is verified. Waseda Twendy-One is currently classified as discontinued. [1]
How tall is Waseda Twendy-One and how much does it weigh?
Waseda Twendy-One is 146.7 cm tall and weighs 111 kg (Robotsguide database value). [3]
How fast is Waseda Twendy-One?
Its stated maximum speed is 0.75 m/s; Robotsguide lists 2.7 km/h (converted); database value, not a Waseda figure. [3]
How long does the Waseda Twendy-One battery last?
The stated runtime is 0.5 hours per charge; Robots Guide database value. [3]
How much can Waseda Twendy-One carry?
The listed payload is 35 kg; Approximate load supported by both arms; not a stated free-carry payload. [4]
How many degrees of freedom does Waseda Twendy-One have?
Waseda Twendy-One has 47 listed degrees of freedom; Tech+ reports 47 DoF: 14 in the arms, 26 in the hands, three in the neck and four in the trunk. [4][3]
Who makes Waseda Twendy-One?
Waseda Twendy-One is made by Waseda University, based in Japan. [1]
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Evaluation footprint
Benchmarks & competitions
No benchmark embodiments or results reference this robot yet.
Related
Similar robots
Evidence
Sources
- [1]The Robots of Waseda: A 50-Year Journey in Humanoid Innovation ↗Waseda University · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]Waseda robotics research leading the world ↗Waseda University · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]Twendy One - Robots Guide ↗Robots Guide · database · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]早大、生活支援ロボット『TWENDY-ONE』を開発 ↗TECH+ (Mynavi) · press · accessed Oct 8, 2026